To my future daughter

Dear daughter,

We have not yet met – you have not even been conceived – but I still wish to write this letter to you, so that from the moment you start your journey towards womanhood, you will know that you are loved; that I wrote these words for you, and that I’m here for you. For you, dear daughter, are unique. You are here to shine, to be empowered, and to live your life freely and independently – just as Allah (SWT) intended.

You are at the start of an incredible journey of discovery and insha’Allah a life of success and fulfilment. I have lived through things that I wish you never encounter. Your journey must not be cut short by deception, by the invisible chains of men, by the lies spun from the misinterpretation of faith which turnyesintono,cannotandwhy?

Dear daughter, you have much yet to learn: but so too does the world. Instead, you mustseize every opportunity you get. Say yes to yourself, to your heart and to your soul. You are worthy of everything you desire.I am saying this, dear daughter, because we live in a man’s world: a world where women have to fight to be seen, to be heard and to speak. The great Emmeline Pankhurst said that we must act withdeeds not words. Generations later, challenges still remain. But that doesn’t mean thatyouhave to change to fit into their mould.You must simply be you. You are not defined by the colour of your skin, the sound of your accent, the letters of your chromosomes or the form of your body.You areyoufor the beauty of your soul, for the tenderness you express to others, for the deeds you perform.You are a beautiful soul.You are everything that you wish to be. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Many of the ‘brothers’ who come to you to seek your hand will of course talk the talk of female equality but they will not walk the walk. They’ll say yes to education, yes to work; but no to compromise, no to respect, no to mutual pleasure, no to sharing, no to love.

Equality is beyond the understanding of these men. As a dear friend of mine told me: patriarchy is a disease that rots the heart and mind, for which these men (and often many women) have not yet sought any remedy.